Cruciamentum - Engulfed in Desolation (2011)

More boring OSDM-revival bullshit, this time from the UK. I'm so sick of bands like this being praised and adored. I mean, at least be fucking interesting. I'm way past the whole "be original" thing as by now I'm absolutely certain that there aren't many riffs and note progressions left that have remained undiscovered and unmolested by any musician out there, regardless of what their musical preference is. I've never really given a shit about the whole "originality" argument anyways. I mean, if the music sounds good to my ears than fair enough. Unfortunately, Cruciamentum just doesn't do it for me. It's too bad really, since they're attempting to ape a style of death metal dearest to my heart. It's really funny, actually, that for many, many years nobody really seemed to "get" what Incantation were all about and now, over two decades since their inception, everyone and their lecherous uncle seems to be giving that particular version of death metal a go and damn near every single one of them has failed to grasp the true essence of that style. Cruciamentum is no different than the many that have come before them and failed to solve the riddle, of course this matters little as legions of dimwits have flocked to their side, praising them for their "mastery" of the old style metal o' death. Figures. I guess it really shouldn't surprise me in a world where 'Glee', Rhianna and Twilight are the be all, end all of mass entertainment. Hell, even the cover art looks as if the artist did his best to rip off 'Towards the Megalith'. No thanks.